Web search and promotion search engine integration

Abstract

An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.

We claim: 
     
       1. A searching system supporting a plurality of buyer computers used by a corresponding plurality of buyers, the searching system comprising:
 a server system communicatively coupled to:
 a first seller's computer used by a first seller to support promotions for selling a first plurality of products, each of the first plurality of products having associated first product data and first promotion information stored in a first configuration, the first seller having first web page information available on the Internet; 
 a second seller's computer used by a second seller to support promotions for selling a second plurality of products, each of the second plurality of products having associated second product data and second promotion information stored in a second configuration, the second seller having second web page information available on the Internet; and 
 the plurality of buyer computers, wherein: 
 
 the server system accesses:
 a first data set comprising both the first web page information and the second web page information; 
 a second data set comprising the first product data, the first promotion information, the second product data, and the second promotion information; 
 
 the server system converts at least a portion of one of the first product data, the second product data, the first promotion information or the second product information from its respective configuration to a local configuration; 
 the server system accesses the associated first product data and the associated second product data, the first product data including a first promotional amount and a first service charge amount, the second product data including a second promotional amount and a second service charge amount; and 
 the server system responds to a user query received from one of the plurality of buyer computers by delivering selections from the associated first product data and the associated second product data to the one of the plurality of buyer computers for display to a corresponding user. 
 
     
     
       2. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system services a sales transaction between a buyer corresponding to the one of the plurality of buyer computers and the first seller, the sales transaction for a product of the first plurality of products. 
     
     
       3. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein in servicing the sales transaction, the server system:
 collects payment via interaction with the buyer's computer; 
 keeps a first service charge from the payment corresponding to a first service charge; and 
 facilitates payment to the first seller in an amount of a first product price less the first promotional amount. 
 
     
     
       4. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system manages a single sales transaction for a first product from the first seller and a second product from the second seller. 
     
     
       5. The searching system of  claim 1 , further comprising storage that stores at least a portion of: the first product data and the second product data correspondingly received from the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer in a local format. 
     
     
       6. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system, based upon the query, accesses the associated first product data and the associated second product data from the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer, respectively. 
     
     
       7. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein the server system is further operable to assess a fee for facilitating the sales transaction. 
     
     
       8. The searching system of  claim 7 , wherein the fee is based upon value of a payment. 
     
     
       9. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein a payment processed for the sales transaction is a credit card payment. 
     
     
       10. The searching system of  claim 9 , wherein the server system spreads the single sales transaction over multiple credit cards. 
     
     
       11. The searching system of  claim 2 , the server system further facilitates warranty registration for the product. 
     
     
       12. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the first promotional amount corresponds to one or both of an instant coupon and a rebate. 
     
     
       13. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system further interacts with one or both of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer to identify the buyer. 
     
     
       14. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system further interacts with the buyer's computer to identify the buyer. 
     
     
       15. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system:
 identifies the buyer; 
 accesses user profile data based upon the identity of the buyer; and 
 selects the product based upon the user profile data. 
 
     
     
       16. The searching system of  claim 1 , wherein the server system identifies the buyer for subsequent presentation of promotions. 
     
     
       17. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein the server system presents a shopping cart to the buyer's computer having the product represented therein. 
     
     
       18. The searching system of  claim 17 , wherein the server system uses customer profile data corresponding to the buyer to create the shopping cart. 
     
     
       19. The searching system of  claim 18 , wherein the server system presents delivery options for the product with the shopping cart. 
     
     
       20. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein the server system further presents shipping costs to the buyer's computer respective to the product. 
     
     
       21. The searching system of  claim 2 , wherein the server system transmits an email to the buyer's computer confirming the sales transaction. 
     
     
       22. A method of supporting a plurality of buyer computers used by a corresponding plurality of buyers by a server system, the method comprising:
 communicatively coupling to a first seller's computer used by a first seller to support promotions for selling a first plurality of products, each of the first plurality of products having associated first product data and first promotion information stored in a first configuration, the first seller having first web page information available on the Internet; 
 communicatively coupling to a second seller's computer used by a second seller to support promotions for selling a second plurality of products, each of the second plurality of products having associated second product data and second promotion information stored in a second configuration, the second seller having second web page information available on the Internet; 
 accessing a first data set comprising both the first web page information and the second web page information; 
 accessing a second data set comprising the first product data, the first promotion information, the second product data, and the second promotion information; 
 converting at least a portion of one of the first product data, the second product data, the first promotion information or the second product information from its respective configuration to a local configuration; 
 accessing the associated first product data and the associated second product data, the first product data including a first promotional amount and a first service charge amount, the second product data including a second promotional amount and a second service charge amount; and 
 responding to a user query received from one of the plurality of buyer computers by delivering selections from the associated first product data and the associated second product data to the one of the plurality of buyer computers for display to a corresponding user. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising servicing a sales transaction between a buyer corresponding to the one of the plurality of buyer computers and the first seller, the sales transaction for a product of the first plurality of products. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 collecting payment via interaction with the buyer's computer; 
 keeping a first service charge from the payment corresponding to a first service charge; and 
 facilitating payment to the first seller in an amount of a first product price less the first promotional amount. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , wherein further comprising managing a single sales transaction for a first product from the first seller and a second product from the second seller. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising storing at least a portion of:
 the first product data and the second product data correspondingly received from the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising, based upon the query, accessing the associated first product data and the associated second product data from the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer, respectively. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising assessing a fee for facilitating the sales transaction. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the fee is based upon value of a payment. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising processing payment for the sales transaction of a credit card payment. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , further comprising spreading the single sales transaction over multiple credit cards. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising facilitating warranty registration for the product. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first promotional amount corresponds to one or both of an instant coupon and a rebate. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising interacting with one or both of the first seller's computer and the second seller's computer to identify the buyer. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising interacting with the buyer's computer to identify the buyer. 
     
     
       36. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 identifying the buyer; 
 accessing user profile data based upon the identity of the buyer; and 
 selecting the product based upon the user profile data. 
 
     
     
       37. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising identifying the buyer for subsequent presentation of promotions. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising presenting a shopping cart to the buyer's computer having the product represented therein. 
     
     
       39. The method of  claim 38 , further comprising using customer profile data corresponding to the buyer to create the shopping cart. 
     
     
       40. The method of  claim 39 , further comprising presenting delivery options for the product with the shopping cart. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising presenting shipping costs to the buyer's computer respective to the product. 
     
     
       42. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising transmitting an email to the buyer's computer confirming the sales transaction.